New farming technology can't replace need for water: Guest commentary

Southern Californians are leaders in conservation, using the same amount of water today as 20 years ago, despite adding 3 million people to the population. The region has recycled more water than anywhere else in the United States and invested more than $5 billion in storage facilities to improve local water supply reliability. This way of life has become essential as we have faced droughts and reduced imported water supplies. But cities arenít alone in learning how to be more efficient with water.

Over the years, farmers in California have employed the most advanced technology to grow fresh fruits and vegetables, beef and dairy, and stunning nursery products, resulting in one of the most efficient agricultural production systems in the world. California farm practices would be unrecognizable to the people who tilled the land a hundred years ago. Farmers today use computer technology, highly efficient irrigation systems, GPS and evapotranspiration monitors to increase water use efficiency through better irrigation management.

From 1967 to 2007 the volume of crop production increased 85 percent while the amount of on-farm applied water declined by 14.5 percent. That means farmers today are nearly twice as efficient in water use as they were in the not too distant past.

How does that benefit consumers? Consumers in the United States pay just 6.2 percent of their disposable income per year (2010) on food and non-alcoholic beverages. Thatís compared to a rate of 10.2 percent in 28 other high-income countries. At the same 10.2 percent rate, it would cost Americans an additional $3,820 per year to feed their families, a huge savings.

Agriculture is among the top 10 contributors to Californiaís GDP. The value of farm products sold in 2012 totaled $44.7 billion. According to the University of California, more than 1.3 million jobs are created by farming, including ripple effects, such as transportation, processing, ports, and warehousing. The economic activity generated by farming is worth more than $112 billion per year to Californiaís economy.

But the real benefit of California farms is that families throughout the state have access to a huge variety of affordable, locally grown produce.

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Without a reliable water supply, farmers canít grow the variety of products we want for our families. So, when it comes to water, farmers and consumers are on the same side of the table.

Both cities and farms in California are facing significant challenges when it comes to water supply reliability. First, weíre concluding one of the driest years on record. Second, the delivery system that moves water from the Sierra Nevada Mountains is antiquated, using 100-year old levees to protect the freshwater for 25 million people, businesses and 3 million acres of farms. These levees are unlikely to withstand a major earthquake and levee breaks would allow saltwater from the San Francisco Bay to contaminate this freshwater supply. This important source of water could be out of commission for as long as a year. This threat affects cities and farms alike.

While we all do what we can locally to be more efficient, we also need to invest in the statewide infrastructure that delivers Sierra Nevada water. The just-released draft Bay Delta Conservation Plan identifies new ways of moving water, through twin tunnels, using modern technology to protect freshwater from earthquakes. The plan aims to benefit people, businesses, farms and the environment.

The Bay Delta Conservation Plan is Californiaís best shot at moving beyond the contentious water wars of the past into an era of solutions. Rather than North vs. South or Farms vs. Cities, we need to look at this problem, and the solution, as one state.

Charles Wilson is chairman of Southern California Water Committee. Mike Wade is executive director of California Farm Water Coalition.